artwork by Marit Vaidla

Yesterday I made some pralines for the local cafeteria. And I felt great! All evening long I created different marzipan, then glazing and then decorating. All I can say is that making glass beads really comes in handy when playing with chocolate.
I made regular marzipan with rose water. Also the water I made with dried rose petals. It smelled so good! Second patch I made with rum. And then extra sweet praline with blueberries from our forest.
I’m in love.

I have been working on some shoe patterns. So in total ,and in my dreams, i wish to have ready made shoes from 8 different corners of Skandinavia and at least 2 pairs of each. Sadly i’m lacking that amount of leather that i have produced myself, so i need to use factory made leather.
Some pairs of shoes will be test of a material, and with selected people I want to put them to work this season.
I have already started, but as lacking enthusiasm, im bit far from my target.
So I hope to gather my mind together and set course to new season and new journeys.

On that picture I have my pair of shoes that I have worn for 2 seasons. Made them out of sheep skin and lined with eel. Worked nice and no problems with using sheep, but I managed to burn one sole. So I’ll be taking them apart to change sole and closing mode.
I guess they are too dear for me to depart from them :)))))9

… I made some beads. Still not well, but as new markets come closer, I really had no choice.
All and all I’m happy with result.
Mostly Birka beads from viking era and special set with celtic beads from the Britich Isles :

Bead maraton is over for this season. Well for first 3 markets at least.
It took me about week to make all that pile, half a kilo and 326 beads.
Plus some that broke, sadly also some huge ones.
I guess lampwork is that great line of hobby that suits me well, because it takes less than 30 minutes to realize my idea!
All and all I learned a lot and it feels great to have all that loot 😀

Borrowed 20L of O2, witch means that you have to pay for a day, witch means on the other hand working all day every day untill it’s empty.
Sadly I overlooked a whole point of wearing glasses… for two days, that made my eyes as colorful as my beads…..
But i’m learning.

Nice amount of waterproof skins are now made. And few more will come.
Most of them are reindeer, that is more durable and stiffer than sheep leather.
Also hoping that time would be to my favor and I could finish my pants as well – sailing season is upon!
//softening process//

/down/ new method: upper part with shea butter, meat side with leather oil, and then comes softening/

/up/ /I’m trying to wet that skin… but it takes forever to get water inside/